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No major events and outings but a generally sociable week with friends.

Some walks were short due to the usual day-to-day commitments and others due to be poor weather of recent days.

Last week it was Harry's turn to blow out the candles, this week it was Dylan's.

More birthday cards on the mantelpiece but for Dylan this time . . . three years old on the 23rd.

" I been given a cake . . . but I'm not sure of those 'burny' things on the top."

I offered him the birthday present . . . it smelt good but he's still looking worried.

" Come on Dylan . . . I had thirteen on my cake last week and it was fine. "

No . . . I haven't poisoned them.

I was testing the camera after charging the battery and took a photo afterwards when they were asleep.

It was too nice to send to the recycle bin.

There's a thought . . . if you place a photo in the recycle bin, do the pixels get used again in any other photo ?

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Thursday last week was a lovely day so Ann and I took a local stroll up the side of Darling Fell.

The holly tree has blossomed into full fruit again this year.

There's a better display than over Christmas . . . must be the delayed winter.

Wrapped up warm against the cool breeze . . . but sitting out in the mid-afternoon sunshine.

That's Grasmoor and Mellbreak in the background of the two photos.

The summit rocks on a side spur of Darling Fell.

Why struggle higher when the view is so nice from here ?

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The weather wasn't quite so nice for the visit of our friends from Nottingham.

One off the phone this time . . . it was dark and damp . . . so the longer exposure suffers from the new technical syndrome "phone shake" !

With Pat and Mike on a local walk in Lanthwaite Woods.

Pictured outside "Barty's Cave", reputedly used as a shelter and hide-away by a Victorian itinerant farmhand and general vagabond.

Legends are great fun but the cave is only a few feet deep . . . he would have got quite wet during a southwesterly gale

. . . and there's nowhere to hide away anyway !

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The weather was better next day so we drove the short distance over to Cogra Moss (map above).

The weather guys weren't quite right as we had a slight shower . . . but it cleared beautifully shortly after.

Cogra Moss Reservoir, looking across to Blake fell and High Pen / Low Pen to the right.

The railings assist the fishing club members when they wade out to the island to indulge their hobby.

That's better . . . the sunshine brings out the colours and the smiles.

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A few floral contributions.

My daughter bought me an Amaryllis for Christmas.

It has no leaves yet but it has a flower, increasing in size so fast you can almost see it growing.

Another I bought before Christmas has leaves and a smaller flower.

A third, left over in the greenhouse from last year has sprouted leaves but has as yet no flower.

They were all potted out on the same day . . . isn't nature interesting.

These hyacinths from Joan have suddenly come into flower to brighten the windowsill on a damp, misty day like today.

Outside, Spring is in the air and the mild weather is encouraging the snowdrops to open.

The next thing you know, we'll have the daffodils in flower too !

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